European Literature Night: Against Indifference

Indifference is the fuel of autocracy. What role does literature have in creating a culture of care? During the European Literature Night we examine the political potential of literature.

‘Art can serve many purposes and take on many forms. But one of the key characteristics of a work of art is that it stimulates the mind and the heart’ – writes Alicja Gescinska in her essay Empathy against Indifference: On Totalitarianism and Art as a Moral and Political Force. During the European Literature Night we examine the political potential of literature. Can we improve ourselves in the act of caring through caring art?

About The European Literature Night
The European Literature Night is organized by De Balie and EUNIC Netherlands, the network of European national institutes of culture and national bodies engaged in cultural activities. This year the Goethe Institut, the British Council, the Institut français, Polish Culture NL, the Embassy of Ukraine, the Embassy of Greece, the Embassy of Estonia, and Vlaams Cultuurhuis De Brakke Grond contribute to the event.

Who’s afraid of art? Now that tyrants are on the roll and more and more people in the West seem to be falling for the autocratic alternative, the Forum on European Culture 2025 (June 25 – June 29) brings together international artists, writers, and thinkers to celebrate the subversive power of art and literature.